Understanding Marijuana
Subtitle: A New Look at the Scientific Evidence
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: August 15, 2002
Language: eng
Number of pages: 326
ISBN-13: 9780195138931
First sentence: Humans use nearly every part of the infamous green weed Cannabis sativa.
Description: "Understanding Marijuana examines the biological, psychological, and societal impact of this controversial substance. What are the ramifications, for mind and body, of long-term use? How does marijuana influence mood and memory? Are smokers of marijuana more likely than nonusers to abuse cocaine and heroin? What effect has the increasing potency of marijuana in recent years had on users and on use? Does our current legal policy toward marijuana make pragmatic sense, particularly considering that countries that have decriminalized marijuana have the same rate of drug use as the United States?" "Mitch Earleywine separates science from opinion to show how marijuana defies easy dichotomies. Tracing the passionate medical and political debates surrounding marijuana in a balanced, objective fashion, he shows that the drug is neither the ecofriendly miracle substance that hemp advocates claim it is, nor the dreaded evil weed depicted in the prohibitionist film Reefer Madness. He also shows how our use of marijuana over the centuries reveals nuanced information about human consciousness, personality, motivation, and society."--Jacket.